Iron plug



March 1, 1949. LUDWlG 2,462,879

IRON PLUG Filed April 18, 1944 Wzmw ATMk/Yik Patented Mar. 1, 1949UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRON PLUG Louis Ludwig, New York, N. Y.Application April 18, 1944, Serial No. 531,623

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to electrical connection plugs, andmore particularly to elece trical connection plugs for connectingpressing irons with a source of electrical energy.

Among the objects of the present invention lies the provision ofelectrical iron plug structure which .is quickly and easily assembled ordisassembled for the purpose of connecting conductors with theelectrical contact elements within the plug.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure of the classdescribed which is operatable by the use of only such simple tool ortools as are usually available to the user.

A feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the plug partsare properly manipulated by persons having relatively little skill.

In the present plug structure the plug is con- 'stituted by a pluralityof plug body members which are resiliently retained in juxtaposition bythe locking element.- The resiliency of the locking element permits theuse of the present plug with a plurality of irons in which a substantialdifference in iron terminals is encountered. Thus the terminals and thebody members of the plug may be temporarily displaced with respect toeach other while the plug has the contact elements therein in engagementwith said terminals, yet after the plug is removed from the said ironthe locking element acts to urge the body members to their originalpositions.

Another feature of the invention lies in the fact that the body members,which together form the plug, may be of substantially identicalconstruction so that not only do they present a symmetrical appearancebut mold cost is thereby reduced and the locking element may be suitablyengaged by insertion initially through either of the body members.

An important object of the present invention lies in the coactionbetween the locking element and the body members of the plug whereby theplug body members are maintained in predetermined spatial interrelationwithout the use of additional aligning means. I

Another object of this invention lies in the provision of structurewherein movement of the locking elements as a unit in a single directioneffects in a complete locking.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fullyappear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in theappended claims.

I .In the drawings, similar reference characters designate correspondingparts throughout the several views of each embodiment.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an iron plug showing theinvention in a locked condition thereof. 1

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view as seen from the plane 3-3 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view inperspective of the locking element of theinvention.

Turning now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1to 4 inclusive, the iron plug is generally indicated by referencecharacter 20. In a well-known manner the plug 20 may be composed of aplurality of plug body members 2i and 22. While the plug body membersare of substantially identical construction for the purpose of clarityin this disclosure, the member 22 may be referred to as a front bodymember and the member 2! may be referred to as a rear body member. Thebody members 2| and 22 are of irregularconfiguration and as is wellknown may be molded of any suitable insulated material such as Bakelite.The plug 20 may be provided with any of the well known types ofelectrical contact elements l8 and I9.

The body members 2| and 22 may thus be molded from the same mold andeach of the members 2i and 22 has an outer face 23 and, an inner face 25and I1, cor-d entranceends 25 and 21, iron prong or contact postreceiving ends 28 and 29 and irregularly shaped orifices 30 and 3|,respectively. The particular shape and interwall spacing of the orifices30 and 3| are correlated to the locking element 32 as will more fullyappear hereinbelow.

The locking element generally indicated by reference character 32 isbest seen in. Figure 4, the locking element in said figure having anappearance assumed by the locking element when not under tension andremoved from the plug 20.

The locking element 32 has a general U-shape with laterally directedextensions on the ends of the U. Thus the element 32 includes the latchelement 33 which is carried by the'latch element carrying portion 34. Asshown in Figure-4 the locking element 32 is preferably fabricatedbysuitably forming two separate pieces of round spring wire to take theshape there shown, and the ends of the individual wires are preferablyinterconnected in any suitable manner as by soldering or welding to formthe terminals or tips-til and 42. The latch element33 therefore mayinclude the latch members 35*and 36 which diverge from the plane inwhich the legs 31 and 38 lie, and from each other in the generaldirection of the resilient clamping fingers 39 and 40. The legs 31 and38 preferably extend substantially perpendicularly from the ends of theportion 34. The resilient clamping fingers 39 and 40 extend from therespective ends of the legs 3'| and 38 preferably at an angle of lessthan 90. The tips and 42 of the fingers 39 and 40 are preferably roundedso that they may have a proper sliding action upon the resilient fingerreceiving surfaces 57 and 59, or 58 and 60 as the case may be.

Each of the orifices '39 and 3! is preferably of a width substantiallyequal to or slightly greater than the width of the legs'3'l and 38andthe portion 3 3 so that the lockingelement may penetrate each of saidorifices. In actual practice then the distance between the wall 33 andthe wall 44 may be only a few. thousandths of an inch greater than thedistance between the edge first into the body member 2 I, the latchmembers 35 and 36 are resiliently flexed toward each other until theylie in parallel planes. This fiexure is caused by the mere insertion ofthe latching members into the orifice inwardly of the depressions 6! and68. When the tips M and 42 first meet the surfaces 51 and 59 theinnermost bights of the latching members will not have entered thedepressions 49 and 59. 'Ihis is accomplished by inserting a sharp toolsuch as a knife, hacksaw blade or thin screw driver first into theorifice 30 and then into the orifice 3! there to 45 and the edge 36 ofthe locking element 32.

The outer faces '23 andl2'4. of the body members 2| and 22 adjoining thewalls 43 and M are provided with indentationsfiil and 58, and 39 and 53,respectively, which correspond with the shape and size of the latchmembers and 33 so that when said latch members are fully seated in theindentations Hand '59 the outermost surfaces of the said latch membersare substantially coplanar or slightly below the outermost level of theouter faces 23 or 24.. Y

The body 'members 2i and 22 from the ends 26-29, inclusive, extendtoward each other into the orifices 39 and 31 to form the projections53,54,35 and 56. Each of the projections tit-56, inclusive, has aresilient finger engaging surface 51-60, inclusive, respectively, and aleg engaging surface iii-t4, inclusive, respectively.

The parts are preferably inter-related in size and position so that whenthe latch members 35and 36 are in either the indentations 49 and 50 orthe indentations i3? and 68, the legs 3] and 38 may have outer surfacesthereof in slidable contact with the leg-engaging surfaces 3i62, and

63 -6 3, respectively. W

The length of the legs 3'! and 33 is preferably such that when the innersurfaces of the latch members 35 and 33 are in contact with theinnermost surfaces of the depressions t9 and 53, or 1 -61 and 58, thetips ll and 42 only of the fingers Operation Assuming the parts to becompletely disassembled, appropriate conductors (not shown) areconnected to the electrical contacts l8 and I9 and these are seatedbetween thebody mem-' bers 2i and 2 2 in suitably arranged depressionstherefor (not shown) with the plug body members in juxtaposition asshown in Figure 2. At this point it is permissible to insert the latchelement 33 into the orifices 39 and 3| in either of the body members 2|or 22; and likewise it is immaterial whether the finger 39 or the fingeris uppermost. Assuming, for the purpose of example, that the latchelement 32 is inserted engage the said latching members so that they maybe pushed outwardly of the plug (to the left as viewed in Figure 2)until said bights can snap outwardly (laterally) to engage thedepressions 49 and 59 (see Figures 1 and 2).

By virtue of the construction just described it may be seen that theplug body members 2| and 22 may be separated from each other temporarilyin order that they may be shifted in position to accommodate an unusualspread of the electrical contacts l8 and l9. Such movement of the bodymembers 2! and 22 away from each other is controlled by the lockingelement 32 and particularly the fiexure of the fingers 39 and 49 aboutthe bends 65 and 66. It is important to note that the body members 2!and 22 may not be rotated about each other, about'an axis perpendicularto the inner faces 25 or ll, a very substantial amount.- Thisis sobecause of the engagement of said body members with the locking elementand particularly the legs 31 and 38 thereof. The amount of axialdisplacement, as described, which may occur will be affected by theamount of clearance between the edges 45 and 46 of the locking element32 and the walls 33 and M. The

- bends 'M and 15 also may flex.

Upon a perusal of Figure 2 in which the plug 29 is shown in the lockedand closed position thereof, it will be seen that where desired, thelocking'element 32 may be inserted from the left and moved toward theright so that the latch element 33 may engage the depressions in thebody member 2|. One of these depressions 61 is seen in Figure 2.

In order to open up the plug it is only necessary to compress or fiexthelatch members 35 and36 toward each other and as soon as they areparallel with each other and can therefore enter one of the orifices 39or. 3! the bends 65, 66, I4, and 15 may become more acute and pull thelatch members inwardly of the plug. members may now be manuallyseparated with ease. The last described flexure of the latch members maybe accomplished by the use of any suitable tool such as a screw driverwhich may be inserted into the depressions let us say 50 or 49;consecutively, and since the wires which form the locking element areindependent except at their ends the latch members may independently andconsecutively be moved to such position as will permit the separation ofthe plug body members.

It may thus be seen that the present plug may be assembled anddisassembled rapidly without f the use of any special tools and that,when in an assembled condition the parts are arranged so as to co-actwith each other to properly support the electrical contacts and toarticulately integrate the plug body members to provide a unitary usefulelectrical contact plug. In securing the plug body members in assembledrelation, no threaded parts are required either in the insulatingmaterial of which the plug body The two body threaded metal inserts.

members are composed tained as the locking element is shifted from therelatively disengaged or open positionthereof to the locked positionthereof and vice versa.

.1 wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to theexact details of construction shown and described, for obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim: I

1. An electrical plug comprising separable plug bodies, the plug bodieshaving orifices aligned respectively with one another, a spring wirelocking element extending through the orifices to secure the partstogether, said spring wire locking element being of U-shape having legsfitting respectively opposite sides of the orifices and connectedtogether across the orifice of one plug body by a bottom connectingportion, clamping means on the respective leg portions engageable withthe plug body to limit the inward movement of the locking element andadapted to have looking engagement therewith, and means on the bottomconnecting portion between the leg portions engaging the other plug bodywhereby to hold the plug bodies together.

2. An electrical plug comprising separable plug bodies, said plug bodieshaving orifices respec-.

tively aligned together, a spring wire locking element of U-shape havingleg portions adapted to lie respectively at the opposite sides of theorifices, clamping fingers extending respectively .6 l the planeincluding the leg portions to have its closed end or engaging portion ata distance from the plane. 1 l i 4. An electrical plug as defined inclaim 2, and said formation comprising two latching projections angledfrom one another and from the plane including the leg portions and fromopposite sides 1 of the plane and engageable respectively with the otherbody member at the opposite sides of the orifice thereof.

5. An electrical plug comprising separable plug bodies having recessesrespectively aligned with one another, and aspring wire locking elementcomprising twoU-shaped spring wires secured together in side by siderelationship, each of said wires having leg portions adapted to lierespectively at the opposite sides of the orifices, the leg portions ofeach wire having respectively clamping fingers engageable with one plugbody, a bottom connecting portion extending between the leg portions andacross the orifice of the other body,

said connecting'portion having a, loop formation therein angled out of aplane including the two leg portions and adapted to have spring engage-The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1 Date 1,866,407 Guett July 5, 19322,023,095 Parker Dec. 3, 1935 2,109,217 Knutson Feb. 22, 1938 2,138,919Herman Dec. 6, 1938 2,201,579 Grohsgal ,May 27, 1940

